Caffe Nero has won a snapshot expert taste test of high street coffee chains by consumer watchdog Which?

The chain beat Costa, the M&S Cafe, Pret a Manger and Starbucks with its Americano, which expert Giles Hilton said was the only one he tasted where he thought he could identify the origin of the beans.

He gave it a score of nine out of 10, compared with six for the M&S version which he described as "reasonable and safe" and five for Starbucks, which he found to be "a little watery and single-dimensional".

Caffe Nero also topped the table for its cappuccino, scoring eight of 10, compared with Pret a Manger who managed four out of 10 for serving it with "too much milk".

He said of Caffe Nero: "You can taste a rich smoothness you'd expect of a Central American coffee with an edge of spiciness indicative of an African coffee."

A Which? spokeswoman said: "Our expert tried a cup of Americano and a cappuccino at five of the major high street chains that sell millions of these coffees to UK consumers.

"Although this can be down to personal taste or barista skill, he found some big differences and in particular praised Caffe Nero's coffee for its depth of taste."

A spokesman for Caffe Nero said: "The Which? report is a fantastic justification of our commitment to provide the best possible coffee for customers."